Fresh Linen Scent: The Clean Sheet Volume 1, Issue 6 by @olskoololfool
Welcome to the wrestling “newsletter” with #NoDirtHere: only fun, “what-ifs?” and positives...The Clean Sheet! A rotating series of mini-features here will highlight all sorts of things in the world of pro wrestling: people making change in the sport, charity and fund-raising efforts, trail blazers of the present, a bit of fantasy-booking, my personal fan experience and much more! So breathe deeply, relax and inhale the wonderful scent of fresh linen: The Clean Sheet.
This issue: Yet another Terrific Ten and a...book report?
The Forward Five is a five static question mini-interview asked of wrestlers and promotions who have been trail blazers, wave makers and agents of change. Paradigm Pro Wrestling, based out of the greater Lousiville/Kentuckiana part of the U.S. has been making strides covering all those bases: trail-blazing by reintroducing fans to UWFi-style bouts, making waves with their truly hybrid card at the Collective 2020 and promoting change by providing opportunities for many new faces to shine. Their next event is the Fighting Spirit: Heavyweight Grand Prix on Friday, November 6th. Co-Owner Gary J. Wilson was kind enough to take on the Forward Five and here's what he had to say.
1. Please sum up your company's mission/goal in one sentence.
Paradigm Pro: “Paradigm Pro Wrestling = Shoot Style Wrestling + Hardcore Wrestling + Traditional Pro Wrestling + 90s Nostalgia with a Modern Twist + A Diverse Group of Talent + Fun and Inclusive Environment + A Full Bar.”
2. What change would you immediately implement in the world of pro wrestling?
Paradigm Pro: “More spotlights and opportunities given to wrestlers from diverse backgrounds, with more representation that speaks to the diversity of the pro wrestling audience. Pro Wrestling is like Baskin-Robbins, there’s 52 different flavors and there should be something for everyone to love. It’s kind of cliche but if wrestling is not for everyone, it should be for everyone. For instance, I’m a big fan of the “pro wrestling is a sport” style of presentation. But not everyone likes that, and that’s okay. There’s plenty of room for the more colorful characters and styles of wrestling to co-exist alongside other styles, without anyone feeling the need to insult a different type of style. Like, you may not be a fan of Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream, but your probably don’t feel the need to insult that flavor either.”
3. What change(s) are you actively pursuing in the world of pro wrestling?
Paradigm Pro: “We promote what we love. People told us we were crazy when we started running UWFi Rules matches and shows, but we loved it, so we put the product forward and found some success with it. We also stand by our desire to promote a diverse group of talent, we’re going to promote the best matches that we can, period. Tokenism and an unspoken quota system have been a thing in wrestling for far too long. Apart from that, we fully embrace different styles of wrestling. Our next show is all shoot-style and then will be an annual event for us, but at The Collective we had a show featuring a high flying scramble, some great traditional matches, intense shoot-style contests, and even a few completely insane death matches. There’s more than one flavor of wrestling.”
4. Who do you think deserves shout-outs/praise in the world of pro wrestling?
Paradigm Pro: “It’s a looooong list. EFFY is amazing, a big supporter of our promotion, and just a great person. Guys like Matthew Justice and John Wayne Murdoch that are willing to put their bodies on the line, each and every night, to entertain the crowd. Calvin Tankman and Lee Moriarty for being a couple of the best wrestlers I’ve ever seen. Dominic Garrini and the recently retired Erick Stevens for helping to keep the legacy of shoot-style alive. IWTV as a whole for bringing all this great content to a wider audience. We truly appreciate each and every person who represents pro wrestling in a positive light.”
5. The dreaded and super annoying question #5: Where do you see your brand/company 5 years from now?
Paradigm Pro: “Man, people didn’t think we’d last longer than three shows. Now we’re entering year four. If you had told me a year ago that we’d be following our debut at The Collective with a show featuring Stephan Bonnar and Dan Severn, I wouldn’t have believed you. We don’t really know what we’re doing with our December show, let alone five years from now. So instead, I’ll just say that in five years, I hope we’re still able to put on some truly great shows (perhaps in more states than just Indiana), with a diverse group of talent, and hopefully have some positive influence on the Indies as a whole. And I hope we’re able to have run a 'Power Rangers' themed show by then as well, because I really want to do that.”
Transparency statement: The Clean Sheet is sponsoring a match at Paradigm Pro's 11/6/20 event, the opening round match of Lee Moriarty versus Max the Impaler.
The Printed Sheet: Book Review of “Death In Covid” by Nick Karp
“DEATH IN COVID is a photo exploration of independent deathmatch wrestling-just about the only performance art you could see live during the Covid-19 pandemic.”
-Nick Karp, opening sentence of the forward to “Death In Covid”
It may seem odd to review what is essentially a photo book (the only words are the one-page forward and quotes from Orin Veidt, Akira and Rickey Shane Page), but if this year 2020 has been anything, odd is a description that fits. A chronicle and document of the spring/summer deathmatch shows in photos, “Death In Covid” captures the scene from many different angles. The brutality of many memorable moments is contrasted by the beauty of an Atlantic City sunset or the White River in Indianapolis. IWA Mid-South, GCW, ICW: No Holds Barred, Violence x Suffering and other promotions are all represented within the book along with all the athletes you've come to know.
I really enjoyed the book and I'm a guy who likes deathmatch wrestling in moderation. It's not something I can binge watch but more of an itch I occasionally scratch. That said, in it's way, the book to me is quite a metaphor for “these challenging times”: the persistence of promoters, the guts and bravery of the performers, the turning of terrible situations into memories. Though these people are a select few and special breed of us, they are all of us, pushing, surviving, adapting regardless of the world's current condition.
If you are a fan of deathmatch wrestling or just got introduced to it this year, I believe the book is a must have. If you're not, you'll probably be appalled: there is blood, there is violence, there is mayhem. I would definitely consider it R-Rated content, meant for adult consumption.
“Death In Covid” is available from orangecrush.art for $20 USD plus shipping. The first run was a limited edition of 300 copies.
Forward Five with...Erica Leigh
The Forward Five is a five static question mini-interview asked of wrestlers and promotions who have been trail blazers, wave makers and agents of change. Erica Leigh is an amazing 90's fever dream come to life as a fierce fighter with a perhaps equally fierce love of confections. If you haven't seen her wrestling for Pro Wrestling Magic, Paris Is Bumping or Uncanny Attractions, you may have seen her totally awesome candy reviews on Twitter. She was kind enough to tackle the Forward Five and the results are indeed...short and sweet.
1. Please sum up your wrestling persona in one sentence.
Erica Leigh: “If the Lisa Frank dolphin jumped off the trapper keeper and came to life as a human with an inexplicable need to brawl.”
2. What change would you immediately implement in the world of pro wrestling?
Erica Leigh: “I would like to never see cosplay gear again. ”
3. What change(s) are you actively pursuing in the world of pro wrestling?
Erica Leigh: “I’ve always tried to challenge 'locker room talk' - there’s no room for racism/homophobia/misogyny. ”
4. Who do you think deserves shout-outs/praise in the world of pro wrestling?
Erica Leigh: “Cheeseburger - the nicest person in the business. Always trying to better himself and help other people. ”
5. The dreaded and super annoying question #5: Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
Erica Leigh: “I see myself signed to a big fat contract laughing at all the bozos who weren’t nice to me.”
If you have events/fundraisers that you would like to see highlighted in the Good Hands section or are an athlete/company/promotion who would like to take on the Forward Five Interview, please reach out to us at either @olskoololfool on Twitter or by e-mail, olskoololfool@gmail.com